Identities of Woodland murder-suicide shooter, victim released

The names of Sunday's apparent murder-suicide victims have been released.

Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Gina Moya confirmed that the homicide victim is Margarita Lopez of Woodland. She died from a single, penetrating gunshot wound to her head.

Lopez's age was not immediately available. Two forms of identification listed two different birth years, 1973 and 1974, Moya said. She may have been 40 or 41.

Jose Pedro Hernandez, 47, who shot and killed Lopez with a pistol, then turned the gun on himself. Lopez died from multiple gunshot wounds, including one to his chest and one to his head. Hernandez was also of Woodland.

Meanwhile, Woodland police are still trying to piece together what happened, especially the 24 hours leading up to the crime, said Sgt. Brett Hancock. Around 5:05 p.m., Sunday, Woodland police officers and medical personnel responded to 294 Riverside Drive for a report of a shooting that just occurred, according to Hancock.

"Responding officers arrived on scene within minutes and located an adult female and an adult male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds inside the residence," said Hancock in a report. "Both subjects were pronounced dead a short time later by medical personnel. ... Though the investigation is ongoing, preliminarily it is believed the deceased female and deceased male had been in a dating relationship and this was a domestic violence related murder-suicide."

There were four other people inside the residence at the time of the shooting - three of whom were Lopez's children, confirmed Hancock. The fourth person was a roommate. None of them were harmed physically.

The crime scene was contained to the home, and police aren't searching for any other suspects involved in the murder-suicide.

The home is located at the northwest corner of Riverside Drive and Ashley Avenue, about three blocks from West Main Street, and directly across the street from the Courtside Towers apartment complex. More than 50 people watched as emergency crews sealed off the crime scene Sunday evening. Anyone who may have information regarding this case is encouraged to call the Woodland Police Department at 666-2411.